Italy surged away at the top of their Under-21 European Championship qualifying group, as Tommaso Baldanzi’s hat-trick sealed a fantastic 3-0 victory in Norway.
This was a crucial head-to-head at the top of the group, as both were on 18 points, plus the Republic of Ireland just behind them with a game in hand. There was a big boost from there too, as Ireland were held to a shock 2-2 draw by Latvia.
It took 10 minutes to break the deadlock with a lovely well-worked team move, as a series of first-touch passes culminated in Willy Gnonto sending Baldanzi through the centre to open the scoring.
Gnonto was the wrong person to be on the end of a Matteo Ruggeri cross from the left, his header going into the ground and bouncing over.
Hansen-Aaroen’s relatively free header was well wide from 12 yards and Diego Coppola was booked, so will be suspended next month against the Republic of Ireland.
Sebastian Desplanches had to fly to fingertip a ferocious Arnstad scorcher round the far post with his trailing hand on 55 minutes, following a rapid Norwegian counter-attack.
Niccolò Pisilli fired over from the edge of the area straight after coming on, but Desplanches was tested by a big deflection on a cross, having to flap it out from under the crossbar.
Italy were unlucky not to double their lead on 67 minutes, as Pisilli’s strike was fingertipped onto the upright from 10 yards on a Zanotti assist.
Baldanzi made it 2-0 with a truly ferocious effort into the roof of the net from a tricky angle with his left foot, having cut inside from the left flank combining with Ruggeri.
The Roma midfielder made it a magnificent hat-trick with his left-foot curler into the far top corner, giving the Norwegian goalkeeper no chance. It was the kind of goal usually scored by his Giallorossi teammate Paulo Dybala.
Curiously, Baldanzi’s only other goal in this qualifying campaign was also against Norway in October 2023.
Norway 0-3 Italy
Baldanzi 10, 72, 80 (I)
Norway U21: Tangvk; Lovik (Braude 87), Hjelde, Mannsverk (Aasgaard 46), Ostrom, Edh; Jatta (Nordas 63), Hansen-Aaroen, Arnstad; Mvuka (Nypan 87), Broholm (Orjasaeter 63)
Italy U21: Desplanches; Zanotti, Coppola, Pirola, Ruggeri; Fabbian (Savona 87), Bove, Ndour; Baldanzi (Ghilardi 87); Gnonto (Raimondo 87), Pio Esposito (Pisilli 57)
Baldanzi is a tricky player. Was very good at Empoli. A bit undersized and his ceiling is not high. What you see now is what you’re going to get.
Reminds a bit of other Italian players with similar profile, Simone Pafundi and Luis Hasa.